Answering the Call

Acts 9:26–28

Phrases that spoke to me today:
• "they were all afraid of him"
• Barnabas took him
• he declared to them
• he went in and out among them at Jerusalem

Applying the Word to My Life:
Most of the time, when I am genuinely uncertain about the right move, it is a close call. And close calls carry their own grace — if it is that hard to see, the cost of getting it wrong is probably limited.

The real problem is the clear call. The moment when we know exactly what we should do and do not want to do it. And if we are honest with ourselves, there are a lot more clear calls than close ones. We know what to do, we just don't want to do it.

We are very good at talking ourselves out of that moment. We convince ourselves we might be wrong or missing something. Or we excuse our inaction thinking someone else will step up or we can get to it later. The rationalizations come easily. But the real reason usually is not confusion. It is cost.

Barnabas had every reason to stay back. Saul's story was extraordinary — maybe too extraordinary. This was the man who had been dragging Christians to prison. Everyone else in Jerusalem had the same information Barnabas had, and they were all afraid of him. I would have been too. That is not an unreasonable response.

Barnabas took him.

He stepped up and brought Saul to the apostles. He vouched for him personally and put his own credibility on the line for a man no one else was willing to touch. And because of that, Saul was received. The man who would become the greatest missionary in the history of the church got his footing in Jerusalem because one person decided to act on what he knew was right.

This is a beautiful example of the gift of goodness. Goodness is the Holy Spirit's work in a believer that produces a sincere love for what is right and an active desire to do what honors God and helps others. It is not simply knowing what is right. It is being moved to do it.

Very few of us will have to decide if we will bring a notorious persecutor of the faith into the very heart of our church, but there are plenty of day-to-day trials. For me, volunteering at church and tithing can give me pause. Both have the same pull. There is always something coming around the corner. Some unknown that might require that extra Saturday, that extra money. The uncertainty is real. But if I am honest, the uncertainty is also convenient. It gives me a reason to stay comfortable that sounds like prudence.

Barnabas did not wait until he was sure there was nothing coming around the corner. He saw what needed to be done and he did it. When I get past my hesitation and make the commitment, I receive much more from ministry than I could ever give. I know what the right thing is and it is even more clear when I do it.

That is what goodness produces — not just the recognition that something is right, but the willingness to move toward it even when it costs you. The Holy Spirit does not just illuminate the clear call. He gives you what you need to answer it.

My Response for Today:
Today I will say yes to one thing I have been finding reasons to avoid.